There are, altogether, thirty-five of these, as per list on next page. It is of course impossible to describe them all, but we will make a few remarks respecting those which will be distinguished most readily, and the manner of finding out particular stars. There are star maps published, and with a little attention and reading, a great many very pleasant evening excursions may be made across the sky, with or without a telescope. The following is the list of the northern constellations. We have put them in various types to indicate the most important.

Name of Constellation.“Author.”No. of Stars.
Ursa MajorThe Great BearAratus87
Ursa MinorThe Lesser Bear“24
PerseusPerseus“59
AurigaThe Waggoner“66
BoötesThe Herdsman (Boötes)“54
DracoThe Dragon“80
CepheusCepheus“35
Canes Venatici{The Greyhounds}Hevelius25
{Hunting Dogs
Cor CaroliHeart of CharlesHalley3
TriangulumThe TriangleAratus16
Triangulum MinorThe Little TriangleHevelius10
MuscaThe FlyBode6
LynxThe LynxHevelius44
Leo MinorThe Lesser Lion“53
Coma BerenicesBerenice’s HairTycho Brahé43
CamelopardalisThe GiraffeHevelius58
Mons MenelausMount Menalaus“11
Corona BorealisThe Northern CrownAratus21
SerpensThe Serpent“64
Scutum SobieskiSobieski’s Shield.Hevelius8
HerculesHerculesAratus113
SerpentariusThe Serpent-bearer“74
Taurus PoniatowskiPoniatowski’s BullPoczobat7
LyraThe Harp, or LyreAratus22
Vulpecula et AnserFox and GooseHevelius37
SagittaThe ArrowAratus18
AquilaThe Eagle“71
DelphinusThe Dolphin“18
CygnusThe Swan“81
CassiopeiaThe Lady’s Chair“55
EquuleusThe Little HorsePtolemy10
LacertaThe LizardHevelius16
PegasusPegasus (Flying Horse)Aratus89
AndromedaAndromeda“66
TarandusThe ReindeerLemounier12
(There are a few others marked in continental maps.)

The Great Bear, or “Charles’s Wain,” or the “Plough,” as Ursa Major is variously called, is of great value in indicating the pole star, which, when once known, can never be mistaken. This constellation has also been termed the “Dipper,” and is very conspicuous in the northern hemisphere. The three stars form the bear’s tail, or the handle of the “plough”; the others form the body, Charles’s Wain, or “Karl-Wagen,” the German term for peasant’s cart, is represented by the quadrangle forming the cart, and the other three stars are the horses.

The “Pointers” are the two end stars, and if a line be followed northwards from them it will lead close to Polaris, the principal star in the lesser bear. This pole star is of a very great brightness, and peeps out, almost isolated, with a pure lustre. The names of the pointers are Dubhe and Menak. The star at the tail-tip is Benetnasch, then Mizar and Alioth. Megrez and Phad are the remaining pair. We append a rough outline of the bear, for the information of those who have not yet noticed it.

The Lesser Bear is not so important as his elder brother as regards size, but he is very useful to astronomers. He resembles the Great Bear in appearance, but is smaller, and the positions of the stars are inverted. In the cut on page 555 (fig. 629) you see the little bear swinging round the polar star, which is at the tip of the Lesser Bear’s tail, so any one will be enabled to find him if they look for the polar star, and then count the three stars away from it, and the four in the body. The Great Bear’s tail points in the other direction. This movement of the earth’s axis by displacing the equinoctial points, alters the “declination” and “right ascension” of the stars (compare page 473). So Polaris is gradually approaching the actual polar point. In about 200 years he will have got as close as he can, and will then begin to recede from it, and in about 12,500 years after he will reach his most distant point.

Fig. 608.—The Great Bear.

Polaris, the Pole Star, was called “Cynosure” by the ancients, and thus we can understand the quotation, “Cynosure of neighbouring eyes,” when a person or object is very attractive. The pole star was the point to which all looked. There are some other very important stars in these constellations. For instance, in—